Konoha, Hokage's Office.
The Konoha F4 gathered once again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane stared at the battle report from the front lines in silence.
Uchiha Yusuke had actually defeated Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchūriki head-on.
That truly exceeded their expectations!
"Thud."
Danzo tapped the floor with his cane, his expression incomparably grim.
The next Hokage of Konoha must be me!
A nobody like Uchiha Yusuke can forget about getting his hands on that seat!
Danzo suddenly spoke in a cold voice.
"Uchiha Yusuke poses a tremendous threat to Konoha. Hiruzen, perhaps we should…"
Yusuke's overwhelming victory on the battlefield had made him feel an intense sense of danger.
Yusuke was already showing signs of becoming the man everyone supported. If he were allowed to continue growing, who knew what might happen?
The Third Hokage's gaze was profound, unreadable.
After a long silence… he slowly shook his head.
"The war has yet to be decided. It would be unwise to act rashly at this moment."
Danzo snorted coldly.
He knew exactly what Hiruzen was thinking—nothing more than using Kumogakure's hands to eliminate Uchiha Yusuke, avoiding any blame himself.
In Danzo's eyes… Hiruzen had grown old.
He had long since lost the bearing of the heroic ninja he once was.
Relying on others was unreliable. Only by finding an opportunity to act personally could success be guaranteed!
A sneer curled at the corner of Danzo's mouth.
If the Hokage hesitates, then don't blame me for taking matters into my own hands.
Over the years, Danzo had done no shortage of questionable deeds in the shadows.
By the time things became a fait accompli, Hiruzen would have no choice but to acquiesce.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane stepped forward as well.
"Uchiha Yusuke's strength is rising rapidly. We must remain vigilant."
"If the Uchiha launch a coup, Konoha will be placed in an extremely passive position."
Hiruzen once again put on his benevolent old-man façade.
"The Uchiha are comrades of Konoha as well. I believe they would not betray the village so easily."
He saw further than the two advisors.
Although the Uchiha posed no small threat, he himself was walking a tightrope.
This time, the Uchiha had sent out their elite forces in full, and Yusuke had personally defeated the Two-Tails Jinchūriki of Kumogakure. How could the hot-tempered Fourth Raikage possibly let this go?
Once the Fourth Raikage personally entered the battlefield, Uchiha Yusuke's situation would become perilous.
And whether to dispatch reinforcements to the front lines—wasn't that entirely up to him, the Hokage?
With a little maneuvering…
Even delaying the arrival of reinforcements could very well doom the Uchiha beyond redemption.
Eliminate this thorn in his side without losing a single soldier, and without bearing any infamy—wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?
Of course, Danzo's line should be kept in play as well.
If something unexpected happened, he could still be pushed to strike from the shadows.
Konoha's darkness existed precisely to handle the dirty work, didn't it?
If something went wrong, Danzo would naturally take the blame.
If you want to find the mastermind, what does that have to do with me, Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzo each harbored their own schemes.
The two advisors were merely tools—occasionally used as guns.
The four of them continued plotting against the Uchiha.
Uchiha Yusuke's reputation was rising by the day, faintly beginning to resemble that of Sakumo Hatake.
Konoha's higher-ups had no desire to see a second "Half-Sleeve Hokage" emerge.
Especially not one born from the Uchiha clan—a family they deeply feared.
Land of Earth.
Iwagakure.
The Third Tsuchikage received the battle report at his desk almost immediately.
A hint of schadenfreude appeared on Onoki's face.
Kumogakure's Jinchūriki had actually been defeated by that brat of the Uchiha clan leader.
Konoha truly produced talents without end!
For a moment… Onoki recalled the man known as the "Yellow Flash." At the mere sight of him, one was permitted to abandon their mission and flee immediately.
That was an unspeakable pain for Iwagakure!
Now Kumogakure had also suffered a crushing defeat at Konoha's hands—how satisfying.
In his youth, he had witnessed the might of Uchiha Madara, the Asura of the Shinobi World.
Madara had merely glanced at him, and he had been sent dancing helplessly for quite some time.
Though he had been Tsuchikage for many years, Onoki could never forget that nightmare.
Even his revered teacher, the Second Tsuchikage Mu, had been unable to withstand even a single exchange against Uchiha Madara.
And now the Uchiha clan had produced another figure—"Flame Demon" Yusuke. That would be more than enough for Kumogakure to swallow.
The Third Tsuchikage waved his hand and issued an order.
"Closely monitor the battlefield. Be ready to strike at any time!"
When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits.
The more fiercely Konoha and Kumogakure fought, the happier he would be.
After all, they were both his enemies. If they annihilated each other, even better!
Land of Wind.
Sunagakure.
After receiving the battle report, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, felt a sense of relief.
Fortunately, he had not listened to Granny Chiyo and declared war on Konoha.
Otherwise, the losses now would likely have outweighed any gains.
Uchiha Yusuke had managed to defeat Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchūriki.
The new Uchiha clan head's strength was clearly not to be underestimated.
Rasa himself possessed Kage-level strength, yet even he did not find it easy to suppress Shukaku when it went berserk.
Sunagakure did not possess Kumogakure's thorough method of controlling Tailed Beasts.
To them, a Tailed Beast was a double-edged sword.
Rasa had even once considered sacrificing his own son, Gaara, to prevent Shukaku from going out of control.
Since the unpleasant fallout last time, Granny Chiyo had withdrawn into seclusion with her younger brother, Elder Ebizo.
Although Sunagakure had unified its internal opinions, its top-tier combat strength had diminished severely.
With only a single Kage-level powerhouse holding the fort, it was difficult to guarantee others would not harbor ill intentions.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, decisively ordered Sunagakure to closely monitor the war's developments and prioritize strategic defense.
Participating in the war was out of the question—at most, they would look for an opportunity to reap some benefits.
Land of Water.
Kirigakure.
The Fourth Mizukage, currently under Obito's control, was busy implementing the "Bloody Mist" policies and had no time to concern himself with the dispute between Konoha and Kumogakure.
Kirigakure had dared to cause the death of his beloved Rin—he would only feel satisfied once he turned the village into utter chaos.
While stirring up turmoil in Kirigakure, Obito also set his sights on one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—Kisame Hoshigaki.
The Akatsuki still lacked capable enforcers.
Among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, this man who, like himself, had grown utterly disillusioned with the world was undoubtedly a most suitable candidate.
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